Cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning unit provided with cleaning tubs in which cleaning liquid is contained, and a carrying mechanism for carrying matters to be processed into and out of the cleaning unit. The carrying mechanism has holding members for holding the matters thereon. The cleaning apparatus further includes a chamber in which the carrying mechanism is housed, and a cleaning/drying system arranged in an upper portion of the chamber to clean and dry the matters-holding members of the carrying mechanism. The cleaning/drying system has cleaning and drying nozzles through which cleaning liquid and drying air are jetted against the matters-holding members of the carrying mechanism.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 07/880,543, filed on May 8,1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,632.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and, moreparticularly, it relates to a cleaning apparatus wherein matters such assemiconductor wafers to be processes are carried to cleaning units bycarrying robot arms and immersed in and cleaned by cleaning liquids inthe cleaning units.

2. Description of the Related Art

The cleaning apparatus is usually used in the semiconductorsmanufacturing process to remove cleaning liquid and other impurities,which have adhered to surfaces of semiconductor wafers, from the wafers.This cleaning apparatus is intended to make the surfaces ofsemiconductor wafers clean by successively applying ammonia-treating,water-washing and hydrofluoric acidtreating steps to the wafers.

The conventional cleaning apparatus, therefore, has plural cleaningunits in each of which ammonia-treating, water-washing and hydrofluoricacid-treating tubs are housed. Matters such as semiconductor wafers tobe processed are held and carried into and out of the cleaning units bycarrying systems. Each of the treating tubs is enclosed by a wall inthis case so as to prevent atmosphere in each of the cleaning units fromleaking outside. The chamber thus formed is provided with openingsthrough which the semiconductor wafers are carried into and out of thechamber.

In the case of this cleaning apparatus, however, the carrying system orrobot carries the semiconductor wafers into and out of the cleaningunits or chambers whose atmospheres are different from each other. Thiscauses medicines used at previous steps and dust and impurities tosometimes adhere to the carrying system. The semiconductor waferscarried can be, therefore, contaminated by these medicines, dust andimpurities and this adds undesired influences to electricalcharacteristics of semiconductor circuits thus formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cleaningapparatus wherein medicines and impurities stuck can be removed from itscarrying system to keep it clean at all times and to enablematters-to-beprocessed to be carried under this state by it.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent drive sections ofthe carrying system from being corroded.

These objects of the present invention can be achieved by a cleaningapparatus comprising a cleaning unit provided with cleaning tubs inwhich cleaning liquid is contained; means for carrying matters to beprocessed into and out of the cleaning unit and provided withmatters-holding members; a chamber in which the carrying means ishoused; and means located in an upper portion of the chamber to cleanand dry the mattersholding members of the carrying means, the cleaningand drying means including cleaning and drying nozzles through whichcleaning liquid and dried air are jetted against the matters-holdingmembers of the carrying means.

They can also be achieved by a cleaning apparatus comprising cleaningunit provided with cleaning tubs in which cleaning liquid is contained;and means for carrying matters to be processed into and out of thecleaning unit; wherein the carrying means includes plural arm segmentsconnected freely swingable to one another and made by hollow air-tightblocks, means for driving the arm segments, means housed in the hollowblocks to transmit drive force to the arm segments, means for supplyingpressurized gas into one of the hollow blocks, and means fordistributing the pressurized gas into the other hollow blocks to keepall of them pressurized.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate a presently preferred embodimentof the invention, and together with the general description given aboveand the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below,serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan showing the whole arrangement of the cleaning apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view, partly sectioned, showing a wafer transferchamber of the cleaning apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a plan, partly sectioned, showing the wafer transfer chamber;

FIG. 4 is a rear view, partly sectioned, showing the wafer transferchamber;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing cleaning liquid and drying air supplysystems;

FIG. 6 schematically shows a clean air supply system and a transferrobot arm in the case of the cleaning apparatus;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing the transfer robot arm;

FIG. 9 is a partly sectioned view showing an inside arrangement of thetransfer robot arm; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a coupling section of the transferrobot arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings. The present invention will be applied, inthis case, to the cleaning apparatus used in the course of makingsemiconductor wafers.

As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor wafers cleaning apparatusaccording to the present invention is a combination of three cleaningunits 2, 4 and 6. A wafer loading unit 8 is connected to the processunit 2 located on the wafer loading side. A wafer unloading unit 10 isconnected to the process unit 6 located on the wafer unloading side.Transfer units 12 which are combined with the three units, that is, thewafer loading unit 8 and the cleaning units 2 and 4 and with the otherthree units, that is, the wafer unloading unit 10 and the cleaning units4 and 6 are arranged between the cleaning units 2 and 4 and between thecleaning units 4 and 6, respectively.

A first swing arm 14 for transferring semiconductor wafers 1 is arrangedat the center of the cleaning unit 2 located on the wafer loading side.A cleaning tub 16 is located left the swing arm 14 and another cleaningtub 18 is located in opposite to the loading unit 8 with the swing arm14 interposed between them.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning tub16 is used as a chemical treatment tub in which semiconductor wafers 1are ammonia-treated, and the cleaning tub 18 is used as a quick dumprinse (QDR) tub in which semiconductor wafers 1 are water-washed.

A second swing arm 20 is arranged at the center of the cleaning unit 4and the transfer units 12 are located left and right the second swingarm 20. Two cleaning tub 22 and 24 are also located in opposite to eachother with the second swing arm 20 interposed between them. The cleaningtub 22 is used as a chemical treatment tub in which semiconductor wafers1 are treated with hydrofluoric acid and the cleaning tub 24 is used asan overflow tub in which semiconductor wafers are water-washed.

A third swing arm 26 is arranged at the center of the cleaning unit 6which is located on the wafer unloading side. A cleaning tub 28 islocated in opposite to the unloading unit 10 with the third swing arm 26interposed between them. A drying tub 30 is also located right the thirdswing arm 26. The cleaning tub 28 is used in this case as final rinsetub in which semiconductor wafers are water-washed.

Citing a transfer chamber 36 in which the first swing arm 14 is housed,it will be described how these transfer chambers in which the first,second and third swing arms 14, 20 and 26 are housed, respectively, arearranged.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer chamber 36 is a water-tight andcorrosion resisting one 36a in which the first swing arm 14 is housed. Acleaning/drying nozzle section 44 having cleaning and drying nozzles 40and 42, through which cleaning liquid (or pure water) and drying gas (orN₂ gas) are jetted against a semiconductor wafers holder of the swingarm 14, is located in an upper half of the transfer chamber 36a. Thetransfer chamber 36a has at a bottom 48 thereof treating liquid exhaustopenings 46 through which waste liquid used to clean semiconductorwafers 1 is exhausted.

The swing arm 14 has an arm body 58, and forks 38 which form thesemiconductor wafers holder. The arm body 58 comprises an arm base 54inserted into an attachment hole 50 of the bottom 48 of the chamber 36athrough an O-ring 52, and plural arm segments 56 attached, freelyswingable relative to one another and movable up and down, to the top ofthe arm base 58. The forks 38 are attached to the front end of the topof the arm segments 56 and grooves in which semiconductor wafers 1 areseated are formed on each of the forks 38. These components or arm body58 and forks 38 of the swing arm 14 are made of corrosion resistingvinyl chloride.

The chamber 36a is also made of the same corrosion resisting vinylchloride as in the case of the swing arm 14. The bottom 48 of thechamber 36a is projected upward at the center portion thereof to form aring-shaped groove 60 around it. The ring-shaped groove 60 has at twopositions thereof the exhaust openings 46 through which cleaning liquidused to clean semiconductor wafers 1 is exhausted. The side wall of thechamber 36 has openings 62 through which semiconductor wafers 1 arecarried in and out. These openings 62 can be opened and closed byshutters 64. When the openings 60 are closed by the shutters 64,therefore, the chamber 36a can be shut off from adjacent treatingchambers 37 not to allow atmosphere in the chambers 37 to flow into thechamber 36a.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cleaning/drying nozzle section 44 locatedin the upper half of the chamber 36a includes one cleaning nozzle 40located at the center thereof and two drying nozzles 42 located on bothsides of the cleaning nozzle 40. These nozzles 40 and 42 are arrangedparallel to one another at the lower end portion of a rocking arm 68.The rocking arm 68 is attached to a rotary actuator 66 and this actuator66 is fixed to the upper portion of the side wall of the chamber 36a.The nozzles 40 and 42 can be thus swung in the vertical direction by therotary actuator 66.

According to this embodiment, the cleaning nozzle 40 includes a cleaningpipe 70 connected to a cleaning liquid supply pipe 78 and a flexibletube 80, and a plurality of jetting outlets 72 formed along the lowerside of the cleaning pipe 70, as shown in FIG. 4. These jetting outlets72 are arranged in two rows and directed oblique and outward. Each ofthe drying nozzles 42 includes a drying pipe 74 connected to a isconnected to a cleaning liquid supply source 77 via flow meter 79a andan air-operated valve 79b so as to supply pure cleaning water from thecleaning liquid supply source 77 to the cleaning pipe 70. The dryingpipes 74 are connected to a drying gas supply source 81 via a pressureswitch 83a, a regulator 83b, an air-operated valve 83c and a filter 83dso as to supply drying N₂ gas from the drying gas supply source 81 tothe drying pipes 74.

When the forks 38 of the swing arm 14 are to be cleaned by theabove-arranged cleaning/drying nozzle section 44, the rocking arm 68 isswung to the cleaning position. Pure water is then jetted against theforks 38 through the jetting outlets 72 of the cleaning nozzle 40 whilesupplying pure cleaning water from the cleaning liquid supply source 77to the cleaning pipe 70, so that chemicals and impurities stuck to theforks 38 can be removed from the forks 38. After this cleaning is donefor a certain time, the supply of pure cleaning water from the cleaningliquid supply source 77 is stopped. Drying N₂ gas is then supplied fromthe drying gas supply source 81 and jetted through the jetting outlets76 of the drying nozzles 42 to dry the forks 38 for a short time. Thisenables the swing arm 14 to be kept clean whenever it is used to carrythe semiconductor wafers 1. Dried or hot air may be used instead of N₂gas.

When the rotary actuator 66 is made operative to swing the rocking arm68 by 90 degrees after the cleaning and drying process is finished, thecleaning/drying nozzle section 44 is moved to an upper and side positionof the chamber 36a and kept there not to disturb the semiconductorwafers carried in and out of the chamber 36a. A tray 86 is attached toone side of the front end of the rocking arm 68. When thecleaning/drying nozzle section 44 is moved to its waiting position,therefore, pure water dropped from the cleaning nozzle 40 can becollected in the tray 86.

The first, second and third swing arms 14, 20 and 26 will be described,citing the first swing arm 14 as an example.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the swing arm 14 is of the multi-joint typecomprising plural arm segments 56a-56d which are connected. freelyswingable, to one another. The top arm segment 56d includes a supportmember 39 from which the forks 38 are projected to hold thesemiconductor wafers 1 thereon.

As shown in FIG. 9, the arm segments 56a-56d comprise hollow blocks96a-96d made of vinyl chloride and connected to one another by hollowconnecting shafts 90a-90c. Spaces 104a-104d in the blocks 96a-96d arecommunicated with one another through hollow portions 92a-92c andopenings 98, 99 of the connecting shafts 90a-90c. A swing drive motor 91is housed in the first arm segment 56a (arm base 54) and connected to afirst pipe shaft 93a, which is attached to the second arm segment 56b,by a first belt 95a. When the swing drive motor 91 is rotated,therefore, the first pipe shaft 93a is also rotated via the first belt95a to simultaneously swing the second, third and fourth arm segments56b-56d.

Another motor 97 for driving the arms to be extended and shortened islocated under the first pipe shaft 93a and it is connected to the lowerend of the first connecting shaft 90a. This first connecting shaft 90ais supported, freely rotatable, in the second arm segment 56b. It isconnected to the second connecting shaft 90b by a second belt 95b and toa second pipe shaft 93b, which is attached to the third arm segment 56c,by a third belt 95c. Further, the second connecting shaft 90b isextended, freely rotatable, into the third arm segment 56c and connectedto the third connecting shaft 90c by a fourth belt 95d. The thirdconnecting shaft 90c is fixed to the fourth arm segment 56d. When thedrive motor 97 is rotated, therefore, the first connecting shaft 90a isalso rotated and this rotation of the first connecting shaft 90a istransmitted to the second connecting and pipe shafts 90b and 93 bthrough the belts 95b and 95c. As the result, the third arm segment 56cis rotated while the rotation transmitted to the second connecting shaft90b is further transmitted to the third connecting shaft 90c via thefourth belt 95d. The third and fourth arm segments 56c and 56d can bethus rotated at the same time and in the same direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connecting shaft 90a in the first arm segment56a is provided with a ventilation hole 98 communicated with the hollowportion 92a thereof. An N₂ gas supply unit 102 is communicating with theventilation hole 98 via a supply pipe 100 and a valve 101. N₂ gas istherefore supplied from the N₂ gas supply unit 102 to the space 104a inthe first arm segment 56a through the supply pipe 100. It then flowsinto the hollow portion 92a of the connecting shaft 90a through theventilation hole 98 and further into the space 104b in the adjacent armsegment 56b through the hollow portion 92a, so that the space 104b inthe second arm segment 56b can be kept pressurized. N₂ gas is finallyintroduced into the space 104d, passing through the hollow portions 92band 92c in the connecting shafts 90b and 90c. The spaces 104c and 104din the third and fourth arm segments 56c and 56d can be thus keptpressurized. This prevents chemical liquid and others, which haveadhered to the swing arm 14, from entering into drive sections in theswing arm 14. Dried or hot air may be used instead of N₂ gas.

Seal systems are provided at connecting sections where the arm segments56a-56d are connected to their adjacent ones. The seal system providedbetween the first arm segment 56a and the second one 56b will bedescribed as an example.

As shown in FIG. 10, a cylindrical fixing shaft 106 which extends intothe hollow block 96b of the second arm segment 56b is fixed to thehollow block 96a of the first arm segment 56a. A sleeve 108 made offluorine resin is fitted onto the fixing shaft 106. An O-ring 50 isinterposed between the sleeve 108 and the block 96a and a seal member112 made of synthetic rubber is also interposed between the block 96band the sleeve 108. The drive sections in the swing arm 14 can be thussealed from a space 105 in the transfer chamber 36.

An O-ring groove 117 is formed on that face of the block 96a of thefirst arm segment 56a which is contacted with the bottom 48 of thechamber 36a, and an O-ring 116 is arranged in the O-ring groove 117. Thehollow block 96b which serves as the second arm segment 56b also has anO-ring 118 at its connected area. The space 104b in the second armsegment 56b can be thus kept air-tight. The pipe shaft 93a in which thefirst connecting shaft 90a is loosely held is supported, freelyrotatable, in the cylindrical fixing shaft 106 through bearings 120.

The chamber 36a which serves as the transfer chamber 36 is a containermade of vinyl chloride and it has at its side wall 126, which isadjacent to the cleaning chamber 37, the opening 62 through which theswing arm 14 is carried in and out together with the semiconductorwafers 1, as shown in FIG. 6. An upper rectifying member 132 which is aporous plate made of vinyl chloride and an HEPA (or ULPA) filter 134 areattached to an open top of the chamber 36a and an air supply passage isconnected to the chamber 36a through these rectifying member 132 and thefilter 134. An air supply fan 136 is arranged in the air supply passage.Clean air A can be thus supplied into the chamber 36a through the filter134 and the rectifying member 132 by the fan 136. The shutter 64 isprovided to freely open and close the opening 62 of the chamber 36a andan air outlet (not shown) is formed along the top of the opening 62 toprovide an air curtain over the opening 62.

As already described above, the bottom 48 of the chamber 36a isprojected upward at the center portion thereof to form the ring-shapedgroove 60 around its projected center portion. The ring-shaped groove 60has air/liquid exhaust openings 46 at two positions thereof. A suctionmeans (not shown) is connected to these air/liquid exhaust openings 46through exhaust pipes 142 and an air/liquid separating section 144 isattached to the exhaust pipes 142 on the way thereof. Further, a porousplate 146 made of vinyl chloride is arranged a little above the bottom48 of the chamber 36a. The down flow of clean air flowing in the chamber36a can be kept laminar by the porous plate 146. In addition, the porousplate 146 prevents air and liquid stayed on the bottom 48 of the chamber36a from again floating upward in the chamber 36a.

According to this embodiment of the present invention, clean air Asupplied into the chamber 36a through the open top thereof is keptlaminar by the porous plate 146 and then exhausted outside the chamber36a through the air/liquid exhaust openings 46. Atmosphere in thechamber 36a can be thus kept clean. In addition, chemical liquid andimpurities adhering to the swing arm 14 can be prevented from scatteringinto the chamber 36a. Further, N₂ gas with which the hollow blocks96a-96d are kept pressurized can be prevented from leaking to disturbatmosphere in the chamber 36a. This enables the semiconductor wafers 1to be carried in the chamber 36a while being kept clean.

It will be described how the above-described cleaning apparatusaccording to the present invention is operated.

When two carriers 32 each holding 25 sheets of the semiconductor wafers1 therein are carried to the loader 8, the orifla aligning system (notshown) is made operative to align the semiconductor wafers 1 in each ofthe carriers 32. Push rods (not shown) are then moved upward to releasethe semiconductor wafers 1 upward from the carriers 32. The push rodsthen cooperate with one another to position 50 sheets of thesemiconductor wafers 1 at a certain interval.

The swing arm 14 is then made operative and swung in the horizontaldirection, extending its arms to the loader 8 while changing their stateshown in FIG. 8 to that shown in FIG. 7. The forks 38 attached to thefront end of the top arm segment can be thus positioned under the pushrods. The push rods are lowered and the semiconductor wafers 1 are thusheld and positioned on the forks 38.

The swing arm 14 is further swung in the horizontal direction, holdingthe semiconductor wafers 1 on the forks 38 while shortening its armsfrom their state shown in FIG. 7 to that shown in FIG. 8. Thereafter, itcarries the semiconductor wafers into the ammonia-treating chamber 37through the opening 62, while extending and shortening its arms, andmounts them on a boat 152 used exclusively for the ammonia liquid 150.When the swing arm 14 comes out of the ammonia-treating chamber 37, theopening 62 of the chamber 37 is closed by the shutter 64 and air isblown through the air outlet along the top of the opening 62 to providethe air curtain over the opening 62. Atmosphere in the ammonia-treatingchamber 37 can be thus prevented from leaking outside the chamber 37.The semiconductor wafers are cleaned under this state in theammonia-treating chamber 37.

When the forks 38 of the swing arm 14 are returned from theammonia-treating chamber 37 into the chamber 36a, the rotary actuator 66is made operative to move the cleaning/drying nozzle section 44 abovethe forks 38. Pure water is supplied from the cleaning liquid supplysource 77 to the cleaning nozzle 40 and jetted against the forks 38through the jetting outlets 72 of the cleaning nozzle 40, so thatammonia and other impurities which have adhered to the forks 38 can beremoved from the forks 38. Pure water used is stayed on the bottom 48 ofthe chamber 36a and exhausted outside the chamber 36a through theexhaust openings 46.

After the forks 38 are washed and cleaned in this manner, the supply ofpure water from the cleaning liquid supply source 77 is stopped. N₂ gasis then supplied from the drying gas supply source 81 to the dryingnozzles 42 and jetted against the forks 38 through the jetting outlets76 of the drying nozzles 42, so that the forks 38 which have been madewet by the cleaning can be dried. The rotary actuator 66 is then swungin the reverse direction to return the cleaning/drying nozzle section 44to its waiting position. The forks 38 are cleaned for five minutes anddried for another five minutes and these cleaning and drying of theforks 38 are carried out during the forks-waiting time (about 10minutes) when the semiconductor wafers are treated in theammonia-treating chamber 37.

The spaces 104a-104d in the arm segments of the swing arm 14 are filledwith N₂ gas. Therefore, chemical liquid and others can be prevented fromentering into the drive sections of the swing arm 14 and the swing arm14 itself can be prevented from becoming eroded. Further, clean airsupplied into the chamber 36a through the open top thereof can be keptlaminar by the porous plates 132 and 146, flowing like a down flow inthe chamber 36a, and exhausted outside the chamber 36a through theair/liquid exhaust openings 46 of the chamber bottom 48. Atmosphere inthe chamber 36a can be thus kept clean at all times.

When the cleaning of the semiconductor wafers is finished in theammonia-treating chamber 37, the semiconductor wafers on the boat 152are mounted and positioned on the forks 38 of the swing arm 14 andcarried out of the ammonia-treating tub 16 of the chamber 37 and theninto the next water-washing tub 18, which process is reverse to thatalready described above. The forks 38 of the swing arm 14 returned fromthe waterwashing tub 18 are cleaned and dried in the same manner asdescribed above by the cleaning/drying nozzle section 44. The swing arm14 can be thus made ready for carrying 50 sheets of next semiconductorwafers 1. As apparent from the above, the swing arm 14 can be cleanedand dried when it is kept waiting for carrying the semiconductor wafers.In addition, chemical liquid and others can be prevented from enteringinto its drive sections. This enables groups of semiconductor wafers tobe cleaned continuously and at a higher efficiency. Further, it ishoused in the water-tight and corrosion resisting chamber 36a. Wasteliquid used to clean the swing arm 14 can be thus safely exhaustedwithout scattering outside the chamber 36a.

Furthermore, the swing arm 14 is in such atmosphere in the chamber 36athat has been made clean by the down flow of clean air. And thisatmosphere in the chamber 36a cannot be contaminated by chemical liquidadhering to the swing arm 14 and by waste liquid used to clean the swingarm 14 because they can be safely exhausted outside the chamber 36a. Theatmosphere in the chamber 36a cannot be contaminated by N₂ gas filled inthe spaces 104a-104d in the arm segments because N₂ gas, even if leaked,can be forced downward by the down flow of clean air supplied. The swungarm 14 can be thus kept clean at all times.

When the cleaning of the semiconductor wafers is finished at thecleaning unit 2 located on the wafers loading side, the wafers arecarried to the center water-washing unit 4 by the loader 12 locatedbetween these two units 2 and 4. They are then carried, same asdescribed above, by the second swing arm 20 housed in the transferchamber 36 in the center water-washing unit 4. In short, they arecleaned in the hydrofluoric acid treating tub 22 and then over-flowed bywater in the overflow tub 24. In the case of the center cleaning unit 2,too, the forks 38 of the second swing arm 20 are cleaned and dried inthe same manner as described above by the cleaning/drying nozzle section44 while the second swing arm 20 is kept waiting.

When the cleaning of the semiconductor wafers is finished at the centercleaning unit 4, the wafers are carried to the next cleaning unit 6 bythe loader 12 located between these units 4 and 6. They are thencarried, same as described above, by the third swing arm 26 at thecleaning unit 6 located on the wafers unloading side. In short, they arefinally rinsed in the tub 28 and dried in the drying tub 30. Also in thecase of the cleaning unit 6, the forks 38 of the third swing arm 26 arecleaned and dried in the same manner as described above by thecleaning/drying nozzle section 44, so that the third swing arm can bekept clean and used under this state to carry semiconductor wafers.

Finally, the semiconductor wafers which have been made clean at thecleaning unit 6 are carried to the unloader 10. They are then dividedinto two groups, each comprising 25 sheets of the semiconductor wafers,and orifla-aligned by the unloader 10 and mounted on and carried by twocarriers.

Although the present invention has been applied to the semiconductorwafers cleaning apparatus in the above-described case, it may be appliedto other apparatuses, for example, the one for cleaning LCD glasssubstrates.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects isnot limited to the specific details, and representative devices shownand described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventiveconcept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning apparatus comprising:a cleaning unithaving cleaning tubs in which cleaning liquid is contained; means forcarrying matters to be processed into and out of the cleaning unit andhaving matters-holding members; a chamber in which the carrying means ishoused; and means located in an upper portion of the chamber to cleanand dry the holding members of said carrying means, said cleaning anddrying means including cleaning and drying nozzles through whichcleaning liquid and dried air are jetted against the holding members ofsaid carrying means.
 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1,further comprising means formed in the bottom of said chamber to exhaustcleaning liquid and drying air therethrough.
 3. The cleaning apparatusaccording to claim 2, further comprising means for keeping clean airflowing downward through a horizontal plane in said chamber at a samespeed.
 4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein saidkeeping means includes a clean air rectifying member arranged on a planeperpendicular to the down flow of clean air in said chamber.
 5. Thecleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising meansattached to an open top of said chamber to create a down flow of cleanair in the chamber.
 6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 5,wherein said down flow creating means includes an air supply opening atthe top of said chamber, a filter covering the air supply opening andmeans for supplying air into the chamber through the air supply opening.7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber ismade air-tight and corrosion resisting.
 8. The cleaning apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said carrying means has plural armsegments connected freely swingable to one another and made by hollowair-tight blocks.
 9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8,wherein said carrying means includes means for driving the arm segmentsand means housed in the hollow blocks to transmit drive force to the armsegments.
 10. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 9, furthercomprising means for supplying pressurized gas into one of the hollowblocks and means for distributing the pressurized gas into the otherhollow blocks to keep all of them pressurized.
 11. The cleaningapparatus according to claim 10, wherein said force transmitting meanshas a hollow shaft for connecting the two arm segments adjacent to eachother and spaces in the arm segments are communicated with each otherthrough the hollow connecting shaft.